DECREE 644 COVID 19 ON JUDICIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEADLINES

Decree No.644 establishing the transitional provision for the extension of judicial and administrative deadlines within the framework of the Quarantine Law.

By Decree of the Legislative Assembly No. 593, of March 14 of this year, and subsequent decrees[1], the suspension of the legal terms and deadlines applicable to administrative and judicial procedures was ordered, with the exception of the deadlines applicable to criminal matters and criminal procedure, referring to the deadlines provided by the Constitution for administrative detention (72 hours), the term to inquire and consequently, the respective judicial hearings, are not affected by the aforementioned decree, that is, they remain in force; suspension whose expiration would occur on May 16, 2020.

Given that the conditions affected by the COVID 19 pandemic still persist, therefore, based on the provisions of the Regulation Law for Isolation, Quarantine, Observation and Surveillance for COVID-19 (the quarantine law), whose validity would end on May 19, warning that if this were to happen, a vacuum in the law would be caused, which would affect legal security, and with it, the rights of both natural and legal persons, and public entities or institutions, therefore said suspension must be extended or extended for 8 more days.

In such a way that by Decree No.644 of May 14, the transitional provision is established for the extension of judicial and administrative deadlines within the framework of the Quarantine Law indicated above; thus extending the aforementioned suspension for 8 days, starting on May 17 of this year, regardless of the matter and the instance in which the processes or procedures affected by the aforementioned deadlines are located. Said provision coming into force, as of the day of its publication, ending its effects on May 24 of this same year.

Remaining from the original Decree, the following conditions (I quote only a few):

All those people who are unable to fulfill their obligations because they are directly affected by the measures applied in compliance with this decree will not incur breaches of contractual obligations or civil and commercial penalties.

Likewise, the deadlines and holding of hearings of the common criminal jurisdiction and jurisdictions specialized in criminal matters are suspended; also applying to hearings held at administrative headquarters, including those scheduled by the institute for access to public information. As well as matters relating to protection measures regarding domestic violence, the procedures, deadlines and sanctions provided for in the consumer protection law, general medicines law, etc. are also excluded.

^{[1] No. 593- valid from March 14 to April 12, 2020}

  ^{No. 622- effective from April 13 to April 16, 2020}

  ^{No. 631- effective from April 17 to May 1, 2020}

  ^{No. 634- effective from May 2 to May 16, 2020}